


A Favor Returned

by missema



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Fear, Fluff, Sleep, Storms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-04
Updated: 2012-07-04
Packaged: 2017-11-09 04:39:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/451391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missema/pseuds/missema
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a kmeme prompt for a F!BretonDB that is fearless in battle, but is afraid of storms.  Onmund offers comfort when a storm hits the College at Winterhold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Favor Returned

Tia had just come back to the College after a long absence, too long in his opinion, but nevertheless, Onmund was pleased to see her. More than pleased, if truth be told. It was no secret that the Nord had a crush on the petite Breton mage, she with curly black hair and a wide, expressive face that seemed to laugh more than not, but he'd never had an opportunity to act on it.  
  
And now he needed her help, well, he thought if anyone could help him, it would be her. In a fit of rashness, he bartered away the last remnant of his family he had left, and was sorely regretting the decision. Though he couldn't make his family understand his magic, in his more sympathetic moments, he could understand their aversion to it. Magic had long been used by the enemies of Skyrim, and so very few Nords had magic that it aroused suspicion and fear amongst most of his relatives. He never wanted to leave, to have things feel so bitter and final between he and his family, but he couldn't change their minds either.  
  
Enthir, the stubborn old mule he was, resolutely refused to give it back, stating that 'all trades are final'. They'd just see about that. After asking Brelyna and J'Zargo where they'd last seen her, he made his way across the courtyard to the Hall of the Elements, where he found her standing near Tolfdir.  
  
"Tia, it's good that you're back!" Onmund exclaimed when he got nearer to her. She turned at the sound of her name, giving him a sweet smile as he approached. His stomach turned and twisted happily at the sight, but he tried not to dwell on the feelings and dove straight into his story.  
  
"I need help, if you're willing." He said in a quieter tone, and she nodded, bowing her head towards his.  
  
The scent of wet robes and snow, sword oil and the faint smell of something spicy like incense met his nose as they stood close together. Her hair was still damp from the constant snow, and though she wore robes, they were expert level destruction robes and not the apprentice set she'd been given upon entry to the College. He wondered when she'd gotten them, for she had to reach expert level in that school before the instructors would even sell the robes, but she looked good in them, paired with elven boots and an Amulet of Dibella. Onmund smiled at her, though it quickly vanished when he told her of his mistake in trading with Enthir. As he explained, she patted him on the arm in an attempt to be soothing, but the contact derailed his thoughts and made his speech halting and distracted.  
  
"I would help you anyway," Tia said, "but your regret seems to go deep. You can barely talk about your family without getting upset and distracted. Is there no way to make peace?" She asked, a frown creasing her pretty face.  
  
"Not now. Maybe in the future." Onmund answered, crossing his arms over his chest. He doubted it, but didn't want to confess the real reason for his barely comprehensible conversation was her nearness. Tia nodded sadly in understanding.  
  
"My family disowned me, too." She confessed in a whisper, shocking Onmund. Not many people talked about their past at the College, preferring to speak about the future, their work, or research- anything besides their personal lives. He hadn't thought much about it, about her past, though he thought of her quite often.  
  
"Are they mad? They disowned the Dragonborn?"  
  
"I didn't know that before I came to Skyrim, and I had been gone for years before that." Tia explained. "Anyway, I'll go see to Enthir now." She said, striding off and putting an end to their conversation.  
  
She returned not too long later, holding out the Amulet to him, though she looked shaken.  
  
"I can't tell you how much this means to me, just to have a little piece of my family back." He said. "I'm in your debt."  
  
Tia nodded at him, but still looked strange, almost frightened. "What's wrong? Did Enthir say something to you?" He asked, growing protective of her.  
  
"No, no, nothing like that. I simply asked him for it back. I am quite charming, you know." Tia answered with a soft laugh. "But I...well, I don't want to talk about it here. Are you going to your room?"  
  
"Sure. We can talk privately there if we cast a muffle spell." He said quickly and she nodded again, walking towards the door. When he got to the exposed courtyard between the two buildings, he felt the quake of thunder and saw lightning streaking across the snowy sky. They were in for a horrible storm for certain, heralded by the thundersnow, and he wondered if it would keep Tia at the College for an extended visit, maybe give him a chance to work up his nerve before she disappeared again.  
  
Onmund turned to make a comment about the storm and saw Tia rushing past him, walking fast to get out of the inclement weather. He hurried along after her, the heavy snow obscuring his vision as it blew sideways towards them. Catching the door before it closed behind her, he hurried in, shaking the snow off of his robes. Tia was shivering and stomping her feet just inside the entrance, her face wearing an expression that was undoubtedly fear. What could have possibly unnerved her so?  
  
It was late, and there was little conversation around them as they made their way silently towards the bed Onmund claimed as his own. Still shaking snow and wetness out of her hair, Tia sat down in the chair in his room and watched him take off his boots, carefully setting them away to dry.  
  
"Now, what's wrong?" He asked, turning to her after quickly casting muffle around them.  
  
"It's silly." She said, waving a hand at him, but she jumped in her seat as thunder clapped overhead in a loud rumble.  
  
He watched her as she looked overhead, the squeezed her eyes shut tight as if she were trying not to hear the noise of the storm. As he looked at her, Tia, the mage that was so naturally adept that no one else in their class could catch up with her, the Dragonborn who slew fearsome creatures and stole their souls, slayer of bandits and beasts, it dawned on him that she was afraid of the storm. The very idea seemed absurd, but as he watched her shaking at every sound of the storm outside, he knew it had to be true.  
  
"Is it the storm?" He guessed in a soft voice, and she nodded with her eyes closed.  
  
Tia sat there for a moment, letting the noise pass and then spoke. "I um, have never liked storms. Before I came to Skyrim, I was on a ship during a storm and it made it even worse. We nearly died."  
  
Onmund leaned forward and grabbed her hand, stroking her thumb with his own. Her hands were harder than his, calloused, but they were small and warm in his. Both of her hands could have easily fit into one of his own, and he marveled at how extraordinarily tiny she was, but filled with more power than he could ever fathom.  
  
"I understand." He murmured, continuing to stroke her hand. Giving him a look through her lashes, she smiled at him, though it was nothing like the friendly smiles she'd been giving him. Though it wasn't quite an invitation, it was intimate and held a hint of something more than companionship.  
  
"I'll be alright." Tia said, ending their moment. "I should get to bed." Withdrawing her hand from his, she got up and turned to leave.  
  
Desperate and unthinking he blurted, "you could stay if you wanted. With me. Tonight during the storm."  
  
Onmund felt his face flush red as he tried to explain. "You know, as a comfort. I know how it is to be scared. And I want to return the favor for you getting back my amulet."  
  
Tia shook her head. "You're kind to offer." She mumbled, jumping as another crash of thunder came from overhead. He watched her scurry away, frightened as the sounds of the storm kept coming.  
  
Burning with embarrassment, he cursed himself. Of course she didn't want to stay in the bed with him - it had been an awkward suggestion at best. There were no doors in this place, no chance they would go unnoticed, and the beds were made for one person. Onmund pulled his hood down lower over his face to block out the ever-present light in the hall and lay down on his bed. Wind whipped and whistled around them, getting through the stone of the old building and chilling the air. Sleep wouldn't come as he lay shivering, and he kept wishing he could have suggested something different that may have kept her there with him, kept her talking maybe.  
  
He didn't know how long had passed, an hour, perhaps an hour and a half, before he heard the rapid patter of light footsteps approaching him.  
  
"Onmund?" A whisper came from closer to his bed than he'd expected and he pushed himself up on one arm. It was Tia, her face close to his, still looking frightened and weary as she stooped next to him.  
  
"Is it too late to say yes?" She asked breathlessly.  
  
"Never." Onmund said, unable to hide his smile. He slid as far to the side of his bed as he could manage and she got in, her back to his chest, settling her body against his, threading her legs between his large ones.  
  
She wasn't wearing her hood, and he could bury his nose in her hair, was so close to every part of her that he could have covered her in kisses without moving. Her skin was a beautiful light brown, almost like an Imperial, though the moonlight leached some of the color, the curve of her neck paler in the faint light. Heat rose within him as she moved slightly, her backside twitching against him, making him swallow a moan. He wondered if the spell was still working, or if the entire hall would hear any noise he made.  
  
"You can put your arms around me." She suggested and he happily complied, wrapping her in his bulky arms, pressing her closer to him. It made a little more space on the bed, though they were completely cramped. Mmm, she purred happily, curling her body into his. "This is much better than alone. I could barely get warm. It's freezing in here."  
  
"I know." Onmund said, barely able to get the words out. Spells were being recited in his head, passages from books, anything that would distract him long enough for his body to calm and get used to her presence. He sent up a fervent, silent prayer to the Divines to let him keep him from embarrassing himself further in front of her.  
  
His hand drifted to her hair and he stroked it, encouraged by her soft sighs, the way she relaxed under his touch. At first, she jumped with every strike of lightning that sounded, with each rumble of thunder that rolled through. His hand continued its soothing motion, and he hummed softly, a sweet song that his mother used to sing when he was a boy. Giving in, he kissed her hair with gentle lips, touching his mouth to the strands near her ear and she turned to face him, offering her lips to him. He gave her another soft kiss, nearly chaste, before she rolled back to her more comfortable position, much calmer as the strong raged on outside.  
  
Sooner than he would have liked, he fell asleep snuggled against Tia, their breathing synchronous.  
  
J'Zargo was the first to see them together, sleeping as a pair in the small bed. He sighed and muttered, "if only she knew how warm J'Zargo was," and kept walking with a small shrug of disappointment. The next visitor was hardly as kind to the pair, and they woke up under a barrage of insults.  
  
"You students shouldn't be allowed to fraternize with each other, consorting in such a way. Is this the custom of you Nords, to have no shame?" Ancano's voice was growing more shrill and haughty with each fresh abuse he heaped onto them and Onmund sat up, nearly knocking Tia off the bed. He caught her with a deft arm, and hauled her back onto the bed, holding her close to his chest.  
  
"Disgraceful." He spat at them, and he looked his disgust as his malevolent eye roamed over the pair.  
  
Mirabelle intervened, stepping between his bed and the raging Altmer in the doorway. "Is it now part of your duties to evaluate our living coniditions? Don't you have more important things to do, Ancano?" She asked in a snappish voice.  
  
Tia was sleepily rubbing the sleep away from her eyes, tiny hands curled into fists. Onmund still had an arm around her, and could feel her breathing start to slow after being scared awake by Ancano's raving. He looked up at the Thalmor mage and gave him the harshest look he could muster, letting his blue eyes become icy as they lavished a glare upon him.  
  
"I do!" Ancano sputtered, turning on his heel and marching away. Mirabelle looked at Onmund and Tia, still in the bed together and smiled ruefully while shaking her head. It was the first time he'd seen her smile, she was usually so severe and business-like. Perhaps getting the better of Ancano put her in a charitable mood.  
  
"Thank you, for everything." Tia said once they were alone together again. "I wouldn't have been nearly as comfortable without you last night. And thank you for not laughing at me."  
  
"I'd never laugh at you!" Onmund still hadn't released her, so she gently pushed his arm away and turned to face him.  
  
"I, um, have a house in Whiterun." She started, and his spirits sank, knowing she was going to leave again. "You could come with me, and no one would wake us up."  
  
He wasn't quite sure he'd heard her correctly, so he sat there, bemusement coloring his features as she tried again.  
  
"If you want to. Or we don't have to sleep." She suggested pointedly, dragging out the word have, making it sound sultry as she elongated it. Onmund snapped his head up, looking at her with an open mouth.  
  
Tia was giving him a grin that was a little too eager to look wolfish, though she certainly looked like the proverbial cat that got the cream. He smiled back, letting it bloom across his face, thinking about spending another night with her. "Let's go." Onmund said, taking her hand in his.


End file.
